Aftershock: A Donovan Nash Novel

The flames of Donovan Nash's worst nightmare are fanned to life when Stephanie VanGelder, one of those closest to him, is kidnapped in the volcanic powder keg of a lawless Guatemala. With help from his inner circle that includes his estranged wife, Dr. Lauren McKenna, Donovan races headlong into the world of corruption and deception. Battling the kidnappers, as well as the deadly gas and lava from the impending eruption of a volcano, Donovan only has one chance to save Stephanie.

Code Black

Crippled by a high-altitude collision with another airplane, Wayfarer 880, half the roof ripped away, flies on in the evening sky. Seated in the back, amid dead and dying passengers, pilot Donovan Nash fights decompression and oxygen deprivation to make it to the shattered cockpit. With help from a woman from his carefully concealed past, and a handful of survivors, Donovan must try to fly the heavily damaged plane with no electrical power or functioning instruments...

Deadly Echoes: A Novel: Donovan Nash, Book 4

Eco-Watch, the premier scientific research organization he founded, is being blamed for a series of violent eco-atrocities that ignite protests around the world. Behind the attacks is Garrick Pearce, a man from Donovan's past, who is bent on a ruthless vendetta. Garrick has promised that after he annihilates Eco-Watch, he'll murder everyone close to Nash. Recoiling from the damage, Donovan enlists the help of Erica, a woman who claims she has information Donovan needs, but her knowledge makes her a marked woman.

Pegasus Down: A Donovan Nash Thriller

A CIA-operated jet on a clandestine mission disappears in Eastern Europe. No mayday, no wreckage, and no known survivors. No way to know if the top-secret extraction of a key American scientist from Slovakia, or his liberator, Dr. Lauren McKenna, code name Pegasus, are dead or alive. Donovan Nash's precarious world is rocked when word reaches him that his wife, Lauren, is missing in Eastern Europe. Using his millions, and fueled by the fear of losing his wife, Donovan and company cut a swath through Austria and Hungary.

Disruption

Former Naval Intelligence Officer turned secret operative Jake Pendleton finds himself in a pulse-pounding race to stop a cyber-terrorist from releasing a string of the most heinous cyber-crimes the world has ever seen. Crimes that could render the world's advanced technology useless. Jake teams with his partner, Francesca Catanzaro, to track down their only lead, a white-hat hacker in Italy known only as The Jew. A man who might hold the key to stop a group of black-hat hackers from causing worldwide chaos - tag named Disruption.

Situation Room: A Luke Stone Thriller, Book 3

A cyberattack on an obscure US dam leaves thousands dead and the government wondering who attacked it, and why. When they realize it is just the tip of the iceberg - and that the safety of all of America is at stake - the president has no choice but to call in Luke Stone.

Passenger 19: A Jammer Davis Thriller

Jammer Davis has spent most of his life investigating aircraft accidents. When a small regional jet disappears over the jungles of Colombia, it is a tragedy like dozens of others he has seen...but for one terrible detail, his young daughter, who was en route to a semester abroad in South America, is listed on the passenger manifest.

Autumn Assassins: A Special Operations Group Thriller, Book 3

CIA's Max Wayne (formerly of SEAL Team Six) and his brother Tom (a former Army Ranger) are bound by blood to execute the highest threat missions that the United States denies. When their father (a Force Recon Marine vet), also working for the Agency, is captured by the Chinese, Max and Tom must find him before he is executed. In their search, the brothers discover a stolen biological weapon and a rogue Chinese special operator leading a clandestine strike against America.

Oath of Office: A Luke Stone Thriller, Book 2

A biological agent is stolen from a biocontainment lab. Weaponized, it could kill millions, and a desperate national hunt ensues to catch the terrorists before it is too late. Luke Stone, head of an elite FBI department, with his own family still in jeopardy, has vowed to walk away - but when the new president, barely sworn in, calls him, he can't turn his back on her. Shocking devastation follows, winding its way all the way to the president, who finds her own family in jeopardy.

Fly by Wire

Falling like a stone from six miles up, a brand new C-500 crashes in central France, killing two pilots aboard. When French officials take over this highly public investigation, they call in the best there is: they call Frank "Jammer" Davis.

A retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Davis is part of the NTSB's "go-team". With a reputation for getting things done - and for steamrolling anyone who gets in his way - Davis starts to dig.

The Depths

When Jen Adams' son is kidnapped and her boss is brutally murdered, she and her husband are thrown into a hunt to find out why. The mystery takes her and a team of soldiers and scientists deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean - to a research station lying under five miles of water one of the deepest oceanic trenches on the planet. The station has been abandoned for over thirty years, and no one knows what to expect when they get there

Lone Wolf: A Noah Wolf Thriller, Book 2

When Team Camelot is handed an unusual mission to rescue the abducted daughter of a foreign president, Noah and the rest go into it with confidence, and are quickly successful. Back home, they are ready to celebrate, but something doesn't feel right. The mission was too easy, and there are indicators that someone may have discovered who they are and tracked them back to Neverland.

Arch Enemy: A Dan Morgan Thriller

The world is descending into chaos - and CIA warhorse Dan Morgan, after nearly losing his head on a covert mission in Colombia, knows the worst is yet to come. Frightened employees of the enigmatic government contractor Acevedo International are mysteriously dying. Morgan's own daughter finds herself lured into the violent world of college extremists. And a ruthless enemy that has long bided its time is prepared to strike at the very heart of America's intelligence and anti-terrorism infrastructure.

Any Means Necessary: A Luke Stone Thriller, Book 1

When nuclear waste is stolen by jihadists in the middle of the night from an unguarded New York City hospital, the police, in a frantic race against time, call in the FBI. Luke Stone, head of an elite, secretive department within the FBI, is the only man they can turn to. Luke realizes right away that the terrorists' aim is to create a dirty bomb, that they seek a high-value target, and that they will hit it within 48 hours.

Fly by Night

A top-secret drone crashes in the lawless Horn of Africa. The CIA is prepared to write off the loss, until evidence surfaces that the wreckage of their prized aircraft is hidden in a hangar outside Khartoum's main airport. The hangar is owned by a shady cargo airline that flies ancient DC-3s across Africa and the Middle East. The name of the company does nothing to still concern: FBN-Fly by Night Aviation.

Dance with the Enemy: The Enemy Series Book 1

Carl Logan was the perfect agent. A loner with no real friends or family, he was trained to deal with any situation with cold efficiency, devoid of emotion. But Logan isn't the man he used to be or the asset he once was. Five months ago his life changed forever when he was captured, tortured and left for dead by Youssef Selim, one of the world's most violent terrorists. When Selim mysteriously reappears in Paris, linked to the kidnapping of America's attorney general, Logan smells his chance for revenge.

Coercion

The phone rings and the offer is made, leaving you only seconds to decide. Betray your country, or watch your family drop dead before your eyes. After the Iron Curtain's collapse, Russia appears to be finished as a superpower. But KGB general Vasily Karpov is secretly working to restore Russia's status by forcing Americans into traitorous acts of espionage and sabotage, with the aid of a new secret weapon.

Mortal Allies: Sean Drummond Series, Book 2

JAG lawyer Sean Drummond has gotten himself in way over his head - with a case that challenges his deepest fears and a co-counselor who challenges just about everything else. Assigned to South Korea as an advocate for a gay officer accused of brutally killing the son of a South Korean war hero, Drummond is teamed up with an old law-school nemesis. Katherine Carson is a curvy, liberal, William Kunstler-like attorney with a reputation for manipulating the media on behalf of her mostly gay clients.

The Asset: An Isabella Rose Thriller, Book 2

Isabella Rose, the Angel, is used to surprises, but being abducted is an unwelcome novelty. She's relying on Michael Pope, the head of the top-secret Group Fifteen, to get her back. When ISIS get involved, the situation becomes even bleaker. Isabella's abductors are in turn abducted, and she finds herself trapped in Raqqa, the capital of the self-styled caliphate. Meanwhile, Pope has problems of his own: a new danger has emerged from the shadows and is threatening both him and his family.

Tier One

John Dempsey's life - as an elite Tier One Navy SEAL named Jack Kemper - is over. A devastating terrorist action catapults him from a world of moral certainty and decisive orders into the shadowy realm of espionage, where ambiguity is the only rule. His new mission: hunt down those responsible for the greatest tragedy in the history of the US Special Ops and bring them to justice.

Code Name: Camelot: Noah Wolf, Book 1

After witnessing the murder-suicide of his parents as a child, Noah Wolf suffers from a form of PTSD that has left him without emotion, without a conscience, and without the ability to function as a normal human being. With the help of childhood friends, he learns to watch others around him and mimic their behaviors, in order to conceal the fact that his mind operates more like a computer that he has spent years programming. That program is what allows Noah to pass himself off as normal.

The Enigma Strain: Harvey Bennett Thrillers, Book 1

When a bomb goes off at Yellowstone National Park, threatening the stability of the world's largest active volcano, the reclusive park ranger Harvey "Ben" Bennett is startled to realize that the blast itself wasn't the only threat: the bomb released a virus into the air, and the outbreak is beginning to infect and kill more and more people. Ben teams up with Juliette Richardson, a driven CDC agent working inside the newly-formed BTR (Biological Threat Research) team, to find the people behind the act of terrorism.

Friendly Fire

It begins with a shocking act of vengeance. Barista Ethan Falk chases a customer into the parking lot and kills him. He tells police that years ago, the older man abducted and tortured him. Then Ethan's story takes an even stranger turn: He says he was rescued by a guy named Scorpion. Of course there is no record of either the kidnapping or the rescue, because Scorpion - Jonathan Grave - operates outside the law and leaves no evidence.

Publisher's Summary

In the Atlantic Ocean, hurricane Helena is gathering strength, becoming the most powerful storm in recorded history. As Helena bears down on Bermuda, Donovan Nash, along with other members of the scientific research organization Eco-Watch, are called to fly in and extract key government people who have been studying Helena. For Donovan Nash, the routine mission turns deadly when an attempt is made on the life of the lead scientist.

A woman from the past, Dr. Lauren McKenna, is suddenly thrust back into his life. With 300 mph winds and waves over 90 feet, Helena marches relentlessly for the vulnerable east coast of the United States. In a bold attempt to diffuse the power of the hurricane, Eco-Watch is called upon to conduct a final flight above the massive fury, where the jet suffers a catastrophic engine failure. Now the only option is to maneuver the crippled airplane into the calm of Helena's eye.

Would you consider the audio edition of Category Five to be better than the print version?

I usually stick to mysteries. This was as good or better! At first I thought the narrator was going to make the listening dull, but I was pleasantly surprised. He was perfect for the part.I totally recommend this book for its suspense, humor, and unexpected twists. Loved it.

What other book might you compare Category Five to and why?

I think this book fits in with books by Clive Cussler, but this one is more realistic. The hero is more human rather than a macho man.

Which scene was your favorite?

I enjoyed the emergency landing in Russia.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I did listen to it in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

This was a surprising and delightful surprise. I am glad I came across it and will check out more by Philip Donlay.

This book exceeded my expectations! Philip Donlay's mother is a friend of mine and I purchased this book because I admire her and wanted to read a book written by her son. I could NOT stop listening. The characters are well developed and likable. The story line was fascinating--a horrible hurricane headed to destroy the Northeast, a love story, and a mystery!! The book was interesting, clean and thrilling!!!

Audible classifies Category Five contemporary fiction; it's actually science fiction. The theory that a very large hydrogen bomb with disrupt/destroy very large and powerful hurricane has been around for more than 50 years and has been thoroughly discredited. The idea that "global warming" will cause larger and more powerful hurricanes isn't credible because experience demonstrates the opposite. Nevertheless, Category Five provides lots of anxious uncertainty for the listener when listenes to as the science fiction that it is.

The premise of a category five hurricane threatening the U.S. east coast was intriguing enough to make me get this. It's completely plausible and terrifying. What I didn't like was all the extra stuff like spies, Russian subs and secret off the book identities and organizations that just didn't seem necessary. You should have enough dramatic material with a storm with 300+ mph winds about to hit the middle of the east coast. Another problem I had with this story was the science, or the lack of it. For example, I think you need to explain to listeners how a plane can find and fly through "weak spots" in a storm that big and powerful. There are other examples but I don't want to give anything away.

I have already recommended it to my reading buddy. This is a great story, exciting as anything I have read, but done without reference to sex, without swearing and without violence. We need tons more authors like this. Willing to avoid the trend of trying to excite with gore and sex and instead using his skill as an author to just tell a very good story. Loved it!

Which scene was your favorite?

Hard to say; it was all a good read.

If you could rename Category Five, what would you call it?

Liked the name. Perfect.

Any additional comments?

I learned of this book through Kindle. I really like the kindle/audible connection with the ability to choose which venue I like but have the ability to read reviews from both venues before making a choice. Kudos to Amazon for another great way for the shopper to make excellent choices before buying.